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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — boats
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. suit — to fit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chest — a box
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. craft — a skill
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com